Public trust in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. saw a notable decline in the fourth quarter of 2025, while Vice President Sara Duterte experienced gains in both trust and performance ratings, according to the latest Tugon ng Masa (TNM) nationwide survey released by Octa Research on Monday. The independent and nonpartisan survey revealed that Marcos’ trust rating dropped by nine percentage points, from 57 percent in September 2025 to 48 percent in December.
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Marcos Ratings Slide Across Key Regions
Despite retaining majority trust ratings in most areas, Marcos faced weaker support in the National Capital Region (NCR) at 42 percent and in Mindanao at 36 percent. His highest trust rating was recorded in Balance of Luzon at 54 percent. OCTA reported that 31 percent of Filipinos expressed distrust toward the president, with the highest level in Mindanao at 52 percent, while 22 percent remained undecided.
The survey also showed a slight decrease in his performance rating, from 54 percent to 51 percent, with the strongest performance again in Balance of Luzon at 58 percent and the lowest in Mindanao at 42 percent.
“Comparisons between the third and fourth quarters of 2025 show a decline in trust and a modest decrease in performance ratings for the President across several regions and socioeconomic groups,” OCTA noted in its report.
Vice President Sara Duterte Posts Gains in Trust and Performance
In contrast, Vice President Duterte saw her trust rating rise from 51 percent to 53 percent, with her highest support in Mindanao at 89 percent and the lowest in Balance of Luzon at 36 percent.
About 26 percent of adult Filipinos expressed distrust, the highest being in NCR at 37 percent and Balance of Luzon at 34 percent. Duterte’s performance rating also improved, climbing from 49 percent to 54 percent, with Mindanao again showing the strongest results at 79 percent and Balance of Luzon the lowest at 41 percent.
“Over the same period, the vice president recorded increases in trust and performance ratings, along with lower levels of ambivalence,” OCTA added.
The nationwide survey, conducted from Dec. 16 to 20, 2025, involved face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above. It carries a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95-percent confidence level, while subnational estimates for NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao have ±6 percent margins. OCTA emphasized that the TNM survey is carried out regularly and is released as a public service to gauge public sentiment on the performance and credibility of top government officials.
The declining trust in Marcos and the contrasting rise in Duterte’s ratings underscore shifting public perception at a time of political scrutiny. These changes could influence policy reception and national discourse, affecting how Filipinos evaluate governance and leadership decisions across the country.
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